Shortly after being inaugurated as the 46th President of the United States in 2020, Joe Biden spoke about being a bridge to a younger generation and a better, more decent America. While Biden may be an important transitional figure in our politics, Vice President Kamala Harris is well positioned to be that bridge to the next generation of voters.
The former California attorney general is 59, young enough to ease public unrest surrounding Biden and his rival Donald Trump, who are 81 and 78, respectively.
There are calls for California Governor Gavin Newsom and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer to join the Democratic ticket, an affront to Harris in her role as vice president, and she has also been in the political fight with Trump since 2020, showing that she knows how to discredit the cultural grievances that fuel Trump’s movement.
Harris, the daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants, is a historic figure as the first woman and first person of color to serve as vice president. Biden chose Harris as his running mate not only because of her cultural background, but also because of her governing experience and communication skills. Of the Democratic candidates who challenged Biden in the 2020 primary elections, Harris was the one who was most fearless in her direct confrontation with Biden.
Biden was also mindful of the black voters who helped him get elected. We wanted someone like Harris, and we got her.
Harris wasn’t the most beloved leader when she first took on the vice presidency, but recent calls for Biden to step down because of his age have made her a more likely candidate for the presidency.
opinion
Harris’ star has risen
I firmly believe Biden should be the Democratic nominee for president. But we should recognize that Harris is ready to step up to the presidency. She has the credentials of a former San Francisco district attorney, former California attorney general, and former U.S. senator. She is smart, personable, and tough. You can’t paint her as a far-left ideologue, as some might try to do. She’s centrist on many issues.
Born into a multiracial family, Harris’ story resonates with millions of Americans with similar family histories. As a graduate of Howard University, one of the most prestigious historically Black colleges in the United States, Harris has firsthand experience that qualifies her to address racial inequality in this country.
Most of my generation and younger millennials and Gen Zers may know Harris as a meme: Anyone who spends hours on Tik Tok will remember the video of her at the White House podium saying, “Do you believe you just fell from a coconut tree? You exist in the context of everything you live in and everything that came before you.”
Or you might remember the video clip of Harris excitedly telling Biden on the phone after hearing that she and Biden had won the election, “We did it, Joe.”
Harris’ intonation of the phrase quickly made her the subject of much ridicule online, and it’s time we move beyond this childish lens through which we view the VP.
Harris is well-versed on issues that young people care about, like reproductive rights and student loan debt, so millennials and Gen Zers would do well to watch her memes over and over again.
The country has struggled with the idea of a woman leading the country, and Harris may finally be able to get us there. She has served as a bridge between the opposing ideologies of Republicans and Democrats for the past four years.
As Vice President, she has served in Senate runoff elections and had to cast the deciding vote in a divided Senate on multiple occasions. Since 2020, the Vice President has served in 33 Senate runoff elections, most notably passing the Stop Inflation Act of 2022.
I remember last year, when Tyre Nichols, a Sacramento man, was brutally beaten and killed by police in Memphis. Harris flew in to attend his funeral. She sat in the front row with Nichols’ mother and comforted her.
Harris was prepared for this moment.
Biden had an illustrious career as a U.S. senator, but it wasn’t until he became vice president that voters saw him as a legitimate presidential candidate. The same can be said for Harris.
We have watched Harris grow into a trusted, strong and compassionate leader.
The stage is set for Biden to build a bridge to a better America in 2020, but the person best suited to complete that bridge is Harris.
